Prying's the Most Fun
by Younger Dr. Grey
Summary: "You don't have a single thing you haven't told anyone else here? You don't have some weird habit, a lame crush, nothing?" Well. — Charlie learns one of Mike's secrets. Charlie & Mike, talk of Mike/Briggs & Charlie/Briggs


On another day, it's Charlie and Mike in the kitchen. Charlie has her focus divided between the soup on the stove and, what Mike will later refer to as, the interrogation that started it all. If he's being honest, the interrogation never would've happened if he didn't try to convince Charlie to have sauce night again and annoy her to the point where she figured the only payment was for him to spill his deepest, darkest secret.

She keeps stirring the pot, mumbling under her breath, "No secrets in Graceland, Mikey."

He leans back against the counter so he can drum his nails on the cabinets. That whole no secrets thing is bullshit. He has the biggest secret of them all, and it's not like he's about to blurt out that he's spying on Briggs so that she won't starve him out.

"I'm an open book," he says. Her eyebrow rises in a silent challenge. He lifts a hand from the cabinet to egg her on. "Try me."

"It's not as much fun if I ask. I want something juicy but also given willingly. I'm not pulling teeth here."

"You said I tell you something or I go hungry. That's torture."

"You're a big boy. You could feed yourself." She turns from the stove to face him. "But, I'll make it better. You tell me something real, and I'll return the favor."

That makes it a little better. Mike hums lowly as he thinks. "What counts as real?"

"Something you wouldn't tell anyone. My ears only. I won't repeat it. I swear." Charlie crosses the spoon over her heart. Mike chuckles, which must offend her a little since she scoffs. "What? You want me to get my gun? Hold it to me head while I promise?"

Guns to heads only makes Mike think of Eddie and the last sauce night. He quickly shakes his head. "I believe you. I just don't know what to say." Mike might not be the most upfront person at Graceland, but he doesn't really have secrets. The only things people don't know have to do with his investigation on Briggs or his feelings for other people in the house. Not exactly cooking time conversation.

Charlie narrows her eyes as she rests the spoon down beside the pot. Her arms cross over her chest while she stares Mike down. "You don't have a single thing you haven't told anyone else here? You don't have some weird habit, a lame crush, nothing?"

_Well._ Mike's face betrays him. A little twitch in his bottom lip has Charlie snapping and widening her eyes back up. Mike tries to ignore her excitement, really, he does, because the only lame crush he has would make everything awkward if it got out. Crushing on Paige is obvious, simple, but this….

Mike looks up from where his gaze has drifted and Charlie's pouting. He caves. "Fine." She silently cheers. "But you already promised you're not telling anyone. Break your promise and you're doing my turns on the chore wheel for a month."

Charlie's grin broadens as her eyes shine. "Fine by me."

Mike steps in closer to her so he can lower his voice. No one should be around, but he wants to make sure it's between the two of them. "Before I got here, I kind of really wanted to meet Briggs."

Charlie stares expectantly, lips parted and head slightly bobbing on her neck. When Mike says nothing else, her face flattens. "That it? Naturally, straight A student like you wants to meet the best."

Mike considers taking the out, but he's already started saying it, and he doesn't have anything else. He shakes his head, lowers his voice even more. "No, you don't understand." He sighs, "I wanted to meet Briggs not because he was the best but because I am… attracted to excellence."

Charlie's jaw drops. She steps back, bumping into the stove and jostling the spoon from where she put it down. "Are you shitting me?" Her voice starts to rise. Mike glares. She drops to a frenzied whisper, "_You_ had a crush on Briggs? _Paul Briggs_?"

Mike should've taken the out. He hisses back, "It wasn't a crush."

She slaps her hands down behind her. "MIKEY!"

He holds up a finger to silence her. "You're not telling anyone, remember? Now, you tell me something."

Charlie laughs. "Well, I slept with your boyfriend. How's that for a story?"


End file.
